Eric Rush

Eric Rush followed an unusual path to his rugby fame. Though an All Black in 29 games and in nine tests between 1992 and 1996 Rush became universally known for his skill as a sevens exponent, in which he was for many years among the world’s foremost players.

Remarkably, in 2003 when he was in his late 30s Rush was still prominent in sevens even though by that time he had ceased to play 15 aside rugby even at club level. From 1988 through to the present Rush has played in almost 60 international tournaments and his swag of successes include many Hong Kong tournament titles, Commonwealth Games gold medals in 1998 and 2002 and the 2001 World Cup.

What has distinguished Rush in sevens has been his exceptional pace, his superb physical fitness and sublime skills which have been developed from a vast playing background as both an openside flanker and as a wing.

That has been the other astonishing aspect about Rush’s career. For as a young man and into his late 20s he was an openside flank specialist and it was only in 1992, at the behest of North Harbour coach Peter Thorburn when he joined the national selection panel that Rush switched to the wing.

At first Rush struggled to make the adjustment but within a season or two he was holding his own at test level.

Originally from Northland, Rush made his first class representative debut for Auckland as a 21-year old in 1986 while playing for an Auckland second division club, East Tamaki. Rush was used by coach John Hart in a Ranfurly Shield match that season against Horowhenua and another newcomer that day was Frank Bunce at centre.

But for many years, as did Bunce, Rush battled to gain a regular starting place in Auckland sides, not surprisngly for as an openside flanker he faced the considerable competition of Michael Jones, two other All Blacks in Mark Brooke-Cowden and Mark Carter and a solid provincial player, Bruce Morton. Rush, too, at around 1.83m and well under 90kg was even for an out and out loosie a shade too light.

Between 1986 and 1989 Rush had only 13 games for Auckland A and thus fell short of gaining a representative blazer. Rush was relegated to two matches for Auckland B in 1990 even though by then he had emerged as a rare sevens talent and had also been since 1988 a first choice member of New Zealand Maori sides.

Rush as a flanker was in national Maori sides, including the major tour in 1988 of France and Argentina, in 14 matches up until the 1991 season. From 1992, by which time he had switched to the wing, to 1997 Rush had another 14 games for NZ Maori including a major fixture against the Lions in 1993. He also played for the New Zealand XV in 1992 (against England B), 1993 (against Samoa) and in 1994 (against France).

He was again a New Zealand A player in the All Black trial of 1997.

Rush’s rise to national honours in 15s coincided with his move to the Harbour union in 1991, his first game for the union being as a flanker.

But from 1992 through to 2000 Rush was, with rare exceptions, a wing for Harbour. He played 90 matches for that union, with perhaps his most celebrated incident being ordered off, along with Robin Brooke, in the stormy NPC final against Auckland at the Onewa Domain in 1994.

Following the New Zealand XV’s first game against England B in 1992 Rush was brought into the All Blacks as an injury replacement for the tour of Austrlaia and South Africa. He played six matches on that tour and another six when recalled for the tour of England and Scotland in 1993.

Rush’s next All Black stint came in the 1995 World Cup when he came on as a late replacement for his test debut in the pool game against Ireland and then in the pool match against Japan, when he scored three tries. Rush then went on the tour of France and Italy and appeared in all internationals, scoring a try against Italy and another in the second test against France when he had his best test game.

Rush remained in the All Blacks through the 1996 season, appearing from the reserves bench in tests against Scotland, the Wallabies and the Springboks and starting the second test against Scotland at Eden Park when Jonah Lomu was injured. He made the tour of South Africa that year but was limited to the midweek games.

That was the end of Rush’s All Black career. From the late 1990s his main concentration was on sevens and that explains a limited involvement with the Super 12. Between 1996-98 he had just 18 games for the Chiefs, though in one, against the Brumbies in 1997, he scored three tries. His final 15s season was in 2000 for Harbour and that enabled him to take his tally of first class tries to 104.

A qualified lawyer, Rush had a natural wit and intelligence and in latter years his bright personaltity has seen him in demand as an after dinner speaker. Rush’s sevens fame has seen him acclaimed as an international star and over many seasons Rush has been invited to play for the British Barbarians in high profile festival games in the United Kingdom.